


Babysitting

by justanoutlaw



Series: A Maiden & A Swan [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Babysitting, F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-08
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:55:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24603514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanoutlaw/pseuds/justanoutlaw
Summary: Emma spends the day with Roland.
Relationships: Emma Swan & Roland Hood (Once Upon A Time), Marian/Emma Swan
Series: A Maiden & A Swan [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1778566
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	Babysitting

**Author's Note:**

> ariestess prompted: Maiden Swan. Emma’s first time alone with Roland for the whole day and night.

Emma never dated anyone with kids before Marian. It wasn’t an official rule or anything, her “type” just never attracted single parents. Marian is for sure outside her usual wheelhouse and that’s what she likes about her. They have similar interests, like the outdoors and nature. Yet, they’re different too, Emma is big into sports and Marian could care less about the teams. They’re both mothers, but Emma knows it’s different. She didn’t raise Henry and any memories from the Missing Year are a hazy memory, quickly replaced by the truth: he was raised by Regina and that’s how it was supposed to be. Her parenting knowledge, limited as it is, is pre-teen boys and handling those emotions.

Marian is new to parenting to, in her own way. She died when Roland was a baby and only came back close to a year ago. Still, her parenting journey is different. 5 year olds are a whole other ball game.

Emma hangs out with them often. They go to the movies or Marian will cook dinner. Occasionally, they get ice cream at Any Given Sundae. Roland is adorable and Emma loves spending time with them. But she’s never done it by herself. It’s always been with Marian.

Until now.

Marian has to work a double shift at the bar and normally Robin would take him, but he and Regina left town days prior to deal with an emergency in the Enchanted Forest. David’s got the station covered, with back up. It’s Emma’s day off and she finds herself texting her girlfriend that she can watch Roland. Marian thanks her profusely and after making sure her mom can keep an eye on Henry, Emma heads to Marian’s apartment where her girlfriend is dressed for work.

“I got called in for this double shift at the last minute,” she explains. “Normally I wouldn’t take it, but it’s good money and the holidays are around the corner.”

“I get it, trust me,” Emma puts a hand on her arm. “You don’t have to explain yourself to me.”

Marian looks back towards the hall, her face scrunched up. “I’ve never left him so long during our time before.”

“We’ll be fine, Marian, I promise. The time will go by so quick, he won’t even notice your gone.”

Marian sighs, shaking her curls back. “Alright.” She pecks Emma’s lips. “I have a casserole in the fridge, instructions on a sticky note on top. Bed time for him is…”

“8. He likes Goodnight Moon. No sugar after 4. I’ve done this with you enough times to know how to goes, Mare.”

Marian lets out a deep breath, looking into Emma’s eyes. She slowly nods, before giving Emma another kiss.

“Roland, baby!” Roland runs out, donning a Spider Man t-shirt and jeans. Marian crouches in front of him. “Mama has to go to work like we talked about. But Emma’s here…”

“Hi Emma!” Roland interrupts.

Emma laughs. “Hi, Rolo,” she says.

Marian gently smiles, stroking his cheek. “I’ll be back after bedtime. You be good for Emma, okay? If you need me, have her call.”

“Okay, Mama. I love you.”

“I love you too, baby.”

Marian wraps him up tight in her arms, pressing a kiss to his cheek. She holds him for a bit, before letting go and grabbing her purse. She blows them both final kisses.

“Love you guys.”

“Love you,” Emma says. “We’ll be fine.”

Marian finally leaves and Emma collapses on the floor, which makes Roland laugh. 

“Finally, she’s gone,” Emma says in an exaggerated tone. “I thought she’d never leave.”

Roland holds his hand over his mouth. “Silly.”

“Well, I’m so hungry, I could eat…” she grins, waiting for Roland to complete their game.

“An octopus!”

“An octopus?”

“They have 8 legs! With suction cups!”

“Well, I don’t know if Granny’s has an octopus, but maybe she has pancakes?”

Roland’s eyes light up. “Yes please.”

***

After stuffing themselves silly with pancakes and bacon at Granny’s, Emma takes Roland to the park to run off all the energy. The entire way, he does not stop talking. He seems to have a fact for everything, which does not surprise her given how much his parents read to him. He takes her hand and swings it when she reminds him about having to hold hands as they cross the street. He gives her a push down the slide once they reach the park. In the sandbox, it’s his idea to build a cottage, not a castle, and Emma is reminded of this boy’s roots.

Emma never thought about having more kids. Before Henry knocked on her door, it never really crossed her mind as an option. She had a child out there, but she didn’t think she’d meet him. Then she did and she still wavered on motherhood. Even with her false memories, she had told Walsh that Henry was all she could handle and he was fine with that. 

Roland, though, Roland was different. He opened her eyes to a different side of kids. She loved spending time with him and getting this one on one…maybe she could do it again. She was getting more serious with Marian and maybe this day can prove that she is step-mom material after all.

She treats Roland to hot dogs from Storybrooke’s first vendor and though they’re not as good as New York, it’s nice to be able to share that with him. Afterwards, she takes him to what she know will be his favorite part of the day: the ice cream store.

“I want rocky road,” Roland says as they walk through the door.

“Of course you do, because it’s the best,” Emma tells him with a wink.

Dopey stands behind the counter, having taken over since Ingrid’s death. Emma places an order for one small cup and one kid’s, before settling at a table with Roland.

“We should send a picture to your Mama,” Emma tells him. “So she knows you’re okay.”

She pulls out her phone and reverses the camera so they can take a selfie. Roland beams, showing off the dimples he inherited from his father. Emma grins and snaps the photo before sending it off to Marian with the caption “he’s been fed lunch, having ice cream now”. Marian resounds with a heart emoji and thanks for taking care of him. She then adds “just one scoop please” to which Emma responds with a thumbs up emoji.

Dopey delivers the ice cream and the two dig in, enjoying the nutty, fudge-y goodness.

“Mama prefers strawberry,” Roland says, wrinkling his nose.

Emma laughs. “I know. It’s not the best flavor.”

“And Regina likes monkey munch.”

“Ewwww.”

“I like our rocky road better.”

Emma feels her heart light up hearing him call it “their” rocky road. 

“Me too,” she tells him.

Roland takes another bite. “Can I have a scoop of chocolate too, please?”

“Sorry, Rolo. Only one scoop today.”

The plastic spoon clangs on the table. “But I want it.”

“I know you do, but it’s getting late and your mama said only one scoop. Finish what you have.”

Emma looks up from her ice cream in time to see his lip quiver. His big brown eyes are wide and his brows narrow. “I. Want. Chocolate.”

Bells jingle above the door, signaling more customers. An audience for this tantrum.

“Roland, I told you that you can’t have more ice cream.” Emma tries to keep her voice even.

“Mama would let me.”

“No, your mama said...” Emma stops herself, realizing she shouldn’t get into a back in forth with a child. “Roland, what your mom would and wouldn’t let you do isn’t important. I said no.”

“I want more ice cream!”

Roland bangs his fist on the table and a tiny crocodile tear falls down his cheek. Emma’s own heat up. What do parents do in these situations?

Why doesn’t she take Snow up on her offers to go to that stupid Mommy and Me group more?

“Roland,” Emma whispers.

“I want my mama, you’re not my mama!”

Sets of eyes burn a hole in Emma’s head. They all know her, they have to. But it’s still not a good look.

Fight or flight, fight or flight.

Roland is still banging his fist and crying, on the verge of screaming now. Emma throws the cups of ice cream away and picks him up in her arms. He’s a brick.

“How are you doing this?” She mutters.

It’s a challenge to carry him home in between the screaming and crying. Luckily, Marian’s apartment is only a 5 minute walk and Emma masters the stare straight ahead approach. Roland wiggles like a worm in the mud, so she keeps her grip tight as they go up the steps and into the apartment. Emma is a contortionist as she manages to grab her key ring from her pocket and unlock the door. Once inside, she finally puts Roland down. He immediately runs to his room and she sits at the kitchen table. 

“Well, first tantrum down,” Emma whispers.

She’s seen Roland have them before, but somehow Marian handles them with much more grace. She always removes Roland from the situation and makes him have some quiet time to think. But normally, he calms down quicker for her.

Clearly Emma is an epic fuck up. An hour ago, she thought she could pull off this step mom thing and now she can’t take the kid out without him nearly exploding.

She fails at nearly everything.

Emma gives it 5 minutes before going into Roland’s room. The light green walls soothe her and she wants to wrap herself in the brown blankets. Roland is laid on top of his bed, clutching his stuffed monkey. He sniffles, rubbing his eyes every so often. Emma raises her hand.

“A truce,” she offers.

Roland looks up. “What’s that?”

“It means no more yelling or crying, we just talk.” Roland is momentarily still, before nodding. Emma sits on his bed, rubbing her palms on her jeans. “You can’t do that, bud. You can’t scream and cry because I said no more ice cream.”

“But I really wanted it,” he whispers.

“I know and it it sucks not getting everything we want,” Emma says. “It also sucks being yelled at because I said no.”

Roland bites his lip. “I miss my mama.”

“Oh buddy,” Emma reaches over and ruffles his thick curls. “I know she misses you too. More than all the stars in the sky.”

“Really?”

“Really. And she’ll be home before you know it. Do you think next time you miss your mama you can tell me instead of screaming? It’s okay to share how we feel, just not like that.”

Roland nods. “Sorry, Emmy.”

“All is forgiven, kiddo.”

***

A timer on her phone dings, signaling that the casserole is ready. Emma pulls on red gingham oven mitts and pulls a bubbling, cheesy, mushroom and chicken loaded dish out of the oven. She inhales it and grins. Her girlfriend is many things, including an incredible chef.

“Roland,” she calls. “Go wash up for dinner.”

She expects to hear the sound of feet but is greeted with nothing. She calls once more and again, nothing. Emma heads back into his room and finds him back in bed. After their talk, they watched Finding Nemo and then he played while she prepared dinner. Now, he’s looking pale, his eyes a little bloodshot. Emma walks closer and puts a hand on his forehead. His red hot skin burns her ice cold pulse.

“Roland,” she whispers.

A quick grab of Marian’s thermometer shows he has a fever of an even 100. How did she not notice what was going on? Roland complains of a tummy ache, says it started during the movie but he was too tired to say anything. Emma isn’t sure what to do, Henry has never been sick in her care before. She knows she can call her mom, but Snow has never cared for a child of this age. The only person who knows how to handle what’s going on, are his parents.

Emma doesn’t want to bother her girlfriend at work and admit defeat again, but she has no choice. She texts Marian not to worry but that Roland has a fever and is complaining of a stomachache. Marian immediately calls her. 

“What’s the temperature?”

“100 even.”

“Any vomit?”

“No.”

“Okay…okay. It could just be a stomach virus. Keep a bowl by him in case he throws up…I’ll be there as soon as I can…”

“Marian, you need to work. I can watch him.”

“He’s sick, he needs me.”

“And you can be here after your shift. Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

“Emma…are you sure?”

“I’m in this for the long haul.”

Marian texts her things to ask David to pick up and drop off. They include Pedilight if he throws up and a fever reducer either way. She instructs Emma to put him in Marian’s bed and make him some soup from the cans in the cabinets and try to get him to drink some water. She adds in Roland’s favorite pajamas, the Iron Man not the Captain America, should be in the dryer.

Emma writes it all down and transfers Roland. She helps him into some pajamas and transfers him into bed, getting him a bowl just in the nick of time. David drops off the stuff and Roland drinks all the juice as instructed, along with most of his soup. Emma lays beside him in bed, stroking his curls and reading him stories until he falls asleep.

After midnight, the door pushes open and Marian rushes in. She collapses onto the bed besides her son and strokes his hair.

“How is he?” She asks Emma, looking up at her.

“His fever broke around an hour ago,” Emma says and her girlfriend breathes a sigh of relief. “He threw up a few times, but drank everything he was supposed to. He’s a trooper.”

Marian looks up at her. “Thank you,” she whispers. “Thank you so much.”

“I’m just sorry I failed.”

“Failed?”

“He got sick and I didn’t notice right away. Then before he threw a massive tantrum…”

Marian cuts her off with a kiss. “Emma, I hate to break it to you, all of this…it’s a part of parenting. You didn’t fail, you did your best. You put Roland first at every turn and he turned out fine. He’s a little boy. They throw tantrums and get sick. They also give cuddles and get better. The question is…would you do it all again?”

Emma looks down at Roland. She thinks of the park. Pancakes at Granny’s. Screaming in the ice cream shop. Throw up nearly landing on her sweater.

Ending the day with cuddles in a big bed, reading Goodnight Moon.

“Yeah,” she whispers. “I want a lot of more days like this one.”


End file.
